The invention relates generally to devices for enabling testing of the physical condition of a person. It relates specifically to such a device for enabling measurement of the energy expended by the person, in manually maintaining rotation of a flywheel in a stationary bicycle, against resistance applied to the flywheel, for use as an indication of the person's physcial condition.
It has been known to use a stationary bicycle, and to apply resistance to the flywheel in such bicycle, for the purpose of measuring the energy expended by a person, in generating rotation of the flywheel, by rotating pedals operably connected to the flywheel.
However, the very large amount of energy required initially to overcome inertia in the flywheel is very difficult to generate for many persons who need to be tested, including elderly and sick persons, and is very difficult to measure accurately. Once this energy is expended by the person being tested, it adversely affects the ability of such person to generate the further energy required for maintaining rotation of the flywheel, against resistance applied thereto, in the accurately-measureable range of operation thereof, adversely affecting the accuracy of the test results.
Further, presently known stationary bicycles, adapted to enable measurement of energy expended by a person, do not include a mechanism for overcoming the inertia of the flywheel and attaining non-manual rotation at a selected speed prior to the onset of the test, as a result of which such bicycles require complex calibration procedures in order to assess the magnitude of measurement errors, and impose an excessive exertion upon elderly, sick, or very young people.